3 Days before she was born (the day of my baby shower, I never got to do a final 37 week one)
She is one month in this photo...it took me forever to do it!
Finally getting around to writing this...the event isn't as fresh in my mind as it was, and I know the details will only fade more...so better late than never! If you don't want to know the details of the birth, are grossed out by birth or are easily offended please stop reading now...........and I apologize if this gets long!
Monday May 21st I had my 37 week dr appointment. I was 37 weeks and 2 days. I went into the dr knowing my contractions had been getting stronger but wanting to try to hang on a few more days to make it to the Taylor Swift concert on the 22nd. I had a little baby sprinkle with my friends the Saturday before and was more ready than ever for little Lei to make her grand entrance. When I was checked at my 36 week appointment I was 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced...baby was still high, so I was certain I would be further along this time. I got checked and I was 3 almost 4 cm and still 75% effected. My dr told me she would be super surprised if she saw me the next week. I got out of the appointment and called my older sitter and said "thats it, I'm having this baby today!!"
Right after the appointment I was cramping pretty bad which for me is a sure sign of the early stages of labor. All of my sisters were in town for the baby sprinkle and then the Taylor Swift concert the next night so I figured lets do it now while the family is here! We decided to go out to Mexican where my mom went into labor with her third baby (Viva Mexico anyone?). I ate mexican food, had a few sips of a margarita to help "relax" me and see if it would do anything. We went back to my moms house and I decided to go on a big walk up some huge hills. At this point I basically felt like the baby was going to fall out and everything hurt so bad so it was as pretty big effort to do it. My sister drove along side of me just incase I couldn't make it home. At this point I began having contractions that were kinda irregular. I had had contractions all the way through this pregnancy so it was so hard to tell if they were real or just my irritable uterus. I decided to get crazy and went and bought some caster oil. I took 1 tbs chased with a ton of pineapple juice. About 45 mins later contractions started getting more consistent..about 7 mins apart. It was 3:30pm and I was supposed to be meeting a friend for a play date with the kids. My house is about a solid hour drive from my moms during this time of day because of traffic so I had to decide if I really thought this was it and head home in rush hour to get everything I needed together and head to the hospital. I finally decided this must be real so I drove in bumper to bumper traffic, having contractions the whole way home, praying my labor didn't pick up any faster while I couldn't move my car! I finally made it home, showered and decided to spend an hour tracking my contractions to see if we should head to the hospital. All of my other labors were super fast so I was really paranoid this one was going to pick up and I wouldn't make it to the hospital in time!
(37 weeks, I was in labor in this)
(Birth photography from the amazing Moch Snyder from Jon and Moch Photography)
When they were about 3-5 mins apart we decided to head to the hospital. It was about 7:30pm. We got there and they checked me and I was still at a 3...WTF I was not happy considering I felt them getting stronger and longer. The nurse had us walk through the hospital for an hour and see if I could make any progress before she sent us home...I was determined I wasn't going home, so I walked all over the hospital trying to get things to progress. After an hour we went back and I was at 4cm and 50% effaced! They admitted me and I called my family to come and hang. My mom and all three of my sisters came to cheer me on. My contractions were regular and getting stronger, but still not crazy strong so I decided to keep walking...and walking... and walking...finally at about 1 am I had them check me again...certain I had progressed further and I was only a 5...I decided to get the epidural because I was exhausted...this is where it gets fun. The epidural was probably the worst part of this whole thing. It took her a solid 45 mins to get it in. She kept hitting bone. I got poked about 10 times. It was the worst experience ever. With both of my other births the epidural went in so easily I was not mentally prepared for this.
Getting my make up touched up
Waiting for my epidural to be in
After calling my dr, she was at least 20 mins away...I couldn't wait 20 mins I knew I needed to push, they brought in a midwife...by 10:50 I was pushing and 11:01am on May 22nd Leiya May Edmonds made her entrance into the world. Definitely wasn't my hardest labor, but wasnt my easiest either. The second she was put on my chest I melted. She looked so much like Kynley and Kyler it was like we had already met her before. The most insane feeling to look at your new baby yet already recognize them. She was 6lbs 14oz, 19.5 inches long...a very normal sized head! Our earliest and biggest baby yet! I am so beyond in love with her birthday...22 has a ton of significance to us. Our wedding anniversary is July 22nd, Kynley was born to the song 22 by Taylor Swift, Kyler was born on August 22nd, and now our little Lei is May 22nd!And did i mention, she looked SO much like me as a baby. I will post a pic of me as a baby soon...but it was like looking at me as a tiny human.
Champagne in the delivery room...obvi!
After she was born I couldn't wait to get the girls in to meet her! My friend Jenna had taken them to ballet when I was in labor and apparently Kynley announced to the whole class that my water had broken and I was pushing 😂 Her teacher told me all about out when I saw her next. Kynley was smitten from the second she saw her and Kyler was just worried about opening her present from her new sister...typical. Such a special time seeing all three of my girls together...how did I get so lucky!
(Photo's below were taken by my sister Suzee and friend Cassie)
The next day is where things get bad. The night she was born tex and I noticed she was looking a little jaundice. Kynley had jaundice and had to be under the lights for awhile so we had an idea of what was going on. We told the nurse and she kind of brushed it off and said she looked fine to her. The next morning g the new nurse looked at her and immediately sent for tests to check her levels. They were already super high so they decided to put her under lights right away. That night they checked her levels again and they had gone up even more. They decided she needed to go to the NICU. As you could imagine I was a mess. I just wanted to hold and cuddle her and I couldn't. I definitely wasn't prepared for everything the next 5 days would bring. Once she got admitted she was under the lights and I couldn't hold her unless I was feeding her. It was terrible. Her numbers kept climbing and eventually I couldn't even hold her at all because she needed to be under the lights 24/7. We were told she got it so bad from having Tex's blood type (B+) and I have O+. Her little body was fighting to get my blood out of her system.
The worst 5 days of my life....each of our kids had a descent hospital stay at the start of their lives, Kynley was 2 extra days for jaundice but not in the NICU, Kyler got spinal meningitis at 3 weeks old and we spent 2 days there until they got the test that it was Viral not bacterial. I had to watch her get a spinal tap and was pretty sure she was going to die. That was much more traumatic than what Leiya went through, but the length of time we were in the hospital is what really killed me. Post part sleeping on a pull out couch having a communal bathroom and shower with everyone on the NICU floor was hard...luckily it was my third baby and you recover so much easier, otherwise I don't know if I could have done it!
Exactly one week after we were admitted to the hospital Leiya and I were finally released! Getting to finally go home was the best feeling. The next day she had to get tested again...her levels were back up and she had to do at home photo therapy where they bring a bed to your house. This was at least better because we were home, but still so hard because I couldn't hold her when I wanted to. Finally after two days of that we said goodbye to photo therapy and I got my healthy girl back.
Since then it has been amazing. She is a great sleeper and very relaxed. Time is flying as it does but I feel so whole with our little family of 5. Thank you so much to everyone for the well wishes throughout this whole thing. I had so many people reach out to me when we were in the NICU and offer to help, it really meant the world us.
